Tom Brady Fantasy Football Week 5 Projection

By Vinny Lanni @vinnylanni on October 4, 2014

John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

Fantasy owners were hoping for the Tom Brady of old when they drafted him, but that has not been the case so far. The future Hall-of-Fame quarterback has been OK, but OK is not what owners are used to. Brady used to be one of the best fantasy football quarterbacks across all leagues and now he has been delegated to a fantasy afterthought. The good thing about Brady is that there is nowhere to go but up and in Week 5 against the Cincinnati Bengals, he is hoping for a new start.

Brady’s completion percentage is down from his career average of 63.4 to 59.1 in 2014. The veteran quarterback has not looked confident and in command of the New England Patriots‘ offensem and if I was a Brady owner I would be concerned, but I wouldn’t push the panic button just yet. Cincinnati and its defense presents a tough matchup for the Patriots, but they are a team that is desperate for a win and that’s what I like about Brady’s chances. He doesn’t have the best offensive line or weapons on offense, but he usually finds a way to make it work when he has to, so it’s hard to count him out.

For owners who drafted Brady as their No. 1 quarterback to start the season, it’s tough not to start him every week. Unless you’re an owner who drafted a solid backup, I wouldn’t recommend benching Brady; at least not yet. Sure, the Bengals’ defense is great and it’s one of the most dangerous to go up against for an opposing offense, but just remember the Patriots are playing at home and it wouldn’t be wise to doubt Bill Belichick and his ability to rally the troops when they are down.

Brady makes for a low-end No. 1 QB for those in 12-team standard leagues. Don’t expect Brady to set the world on fire with his play on Sunday, but expect him to be efficient and play better than he has.

Tom Brady’s Week 5 Projection: 250 passing yards, two touchdowns.

Vinny Lanni is a New York Jets writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter or add him to your network on Google.